The Things I Give You
by Harri The Celery
Summary: Tis the season not to be single fa la la la la, la la la la. Too bad Hinata's still single, fa la la la la, la la la LA! Hinata gets Naruto's name for Secret Santa. Read to see what unfolds. Update: I hope you're still in the mood for holidayish themed stuff. I swear I'm gonna finish this.
1. Chapter 1

**Forgive me for I have sinned, it has been eons since I updated my other story. I'm having writers block with that one. But then I got bitten by the writing bug, and this story was born. Hope you enjoy! I'm going to try to have it done by Christmas :) **

* * *

I have a problem. My problem is a person. This person is sitting on the other side of the science lab.

Somehow Mr. Dilemma is really rocking the plastic safety goggle look. Little jerk. How is it that some people can turn such a hideous thing into something so adorable?

You may be wondering why this guy is such a problem. It's because he's been getting in my _way_.

This morning I ran into the school's front door because I was looking over my shoulder at him and his friends. People gave me strange looks. A week ago I didn't hear the literature teacher assign a new book, because I was listening to his hushed chuckle float from the back of the room. Now I'm behind on my reading schedule. Last summer I blew all my money buying tickets to see his stupid baseball games. And in seventh grade I lent him my favorite pencil with the eraser that looked like a gummy bear. I still haven't gotten it back.

_Naruto is such a jerk. _

At the moment, I'm eschewing him with a firm hand. Because all he's ever brought me is trouble and I don't need that anymore. I'm eschewing him. I'm eschewing his nice face. His mischievous grin. His eyes. Glittering like sapphires. Sapphires that are looking at me…right at me.

I quickly averted my stare towards the ceiling. But that's weird. So I adjusted my safety goggles and added some more baking soda to the beaker on the counter, earning a dirty look from my lab partner. I glanced across the room again.

Naruto had his chin propped on his fist. And he was staring at me. He wiggled his eyebrows at me (he's one of those people who can wiggle their eyebrows really well and make it look super hot), held my gaze for a moment longer and then swiveled his stool towards his bubbling experiment.

"Hinata. Hinata. Hinata. Hinata. Hinata. Hinata," a monotone voice drolled behind me.

"_What?"_ I hissed to my best friend Karin, who was leaning on the counter next to me and giving me a bored death-glare.

"I saw exactly what you were doing. I saw _exactly_ what was going on," Karin smirked at me. "This morning you told me that you had given up this little obsession of yours. Looks to _me _like you changed your mind. _Again."_

"Karin. Go back to your own table," I said. I had tried to stop liking Naruto multiple times, but it's hard to give up on someone you've liked for so long.

There are so many times I've almost told him. So many times. Then I think to myself, "What if I creep him out? What if he doesn't like me and I end up ruining the friendship we have?" then I remind myself that, oh wait, he has a thing for Ino. I'm sure of it. She's gorgeous and talented and super nice. Who wouldn't like her? I don't have any concrete proof for this Ino and Naruto thing, but one day I came up with it, and somehow reminding myself that he probably likes someone else and not me helps me get over him.

For an afternoon. Then I start being an obsessed stalker again.

Karin says I need to be checked into a mental institution.

I need to be checked into a mental institute.

* * *

At lunch I sat in the cafeteria with Karen as we moaned about our lives.

"Mr. Kakashi lowered the grade on my report because I forgot to double space it. Can you believe that?" Karin said as she opened her carton of milk.

"Well…double spacing was in the requirements," I said. "Look, can you believe that? Ino is sitting next to Naruto again."

"Oh my God. They're friends! And if they do ever date, it will be short term, I promise you. No guy lasts long with Ino."

"Yeah. But you gotta hand it to her. She really knows how to reel them in," I said.

"You could reel guys in if you tried," Karin adjusted her glasses.

"Pfft. I try."

"No. You don't. You never talk to them. You never make any moves, and you dress like a bum."

"I do not dress like a bum…" I trailed off as I looked at my oversized hoodie and grey cargo pants. "Wait, look!" I hoisted my foot onto the table. "I'm wearing flats today. They have little bows. Cute, huh?"

"They'd be cute if you could see them. Your pants are too baggy. Get your leg off the table. Naruto's watching."

"What?" I quickly pulled my leg off of the table and glanced around. Naruto was grinning at me. He tilted his head as if to say, "What's goin' on?" I looked down at my lunch quickly.

"Shit, Hinata. There you go again. You could at least wave." Karin laughed and grabbed my arm, flapping it around in the air. I pulled it out of her grasp.

"_Stop,_" I hissed. "Oh well he's not even looking any more."

Suigetsu sat down next to Karin.

"Fries, Karin? Once on the lips, forever on the hips," He shook his head in mock disappointment.

"Shut up, jackass."

Karin always argued with me when I brought it up, but I could totally tell that Suigetsu liked her. He dragged a hand through his dyed blue hair and took a bite of her cheeseburger. Karin threw her hands up in the air.

"Did I say you could get your germs all over my food?" she said.

"Just making sure it's not poisoned."

"Jesus."

"So Hinata," Suigetsu turned to me. "Still pining over Uzumaki?"

"_Shhhh_." I widened my eyes at him. "Don't talk about that so _loudly._"

"The whole damn school knows," Karin shrugged.

"Gahhh."

"Anyway, my pulchritudinous friends, my band and I are going on tour next summer and we need roadies. Wanna come?" Suigetsu was a member of a crappy punk rock band that had formed last summer and was still lacking a name. So far the only gig they had was at homecoming earlier in the year (the only reason the school hired them was because they were _super_ cheap). The band only got halfway through their first song before they blew a fuse and the power went out, due to the amps being turned up too high. The dance was canceled and everyone had to go home. Some people still won't talk to Suigetsu for that.

Karen and Suigetsu argued about the purpose of a roadie for the rest of the day.

* * *

"You look especially dead this morning, darling," Karin sat down next to me in homeroom the following Tuesday morning. I was about to make a witty reply when someone interrupted me.

"Hey everyone!" Sakura was standing at the front of the room. "As you know, last week everyone who wanted to signed up for the Secret Santa. I'm happy to say that everyone in our eleventh grade signed up. Besides Suigetsu, but I went ahead and put your name in to make the number even."

"Aw, hell naw," Suigetsu groaned from the back of the classroom.

"In a minute you can come up and grab a name from the basket. You must give your person at least three little gifts throughout this month. You can leave them on your person's desk, slip them into their locker, or give them to Mr. Kakashi and he will distribute them in homeroom; or of course you can give the gift some other way, just make sure it gets to the intended person and your identity stays _secret_," Sakura wiggled her fingers for emphasis. "On December twentieth– the last day of school before winter break– you give and receive your last gift, and figure out who your Secret Santa is! Now please come and grab a name from the basket," Sakura said.

"I hope Sai doesn't get my name again," Karin whispered to me. I laughed. Last year Sai, clueless as ever, got Karin a book about how to make friends. The note taped to it read, 'I think you could benefit from reading this.' We got up and crowded towards Sakura.

"In a line people! One at a time! _Please,_" Sakura yelled. I got shoved around until I somehow ended up in line behind Naruto. The line shuffled forward; I stared at Naruto's broad shoulders. Naruto looked over his shoulder at me.

"Crazy, it's already December, huh?" He smiled at me.

"Yeah... and I'm still fat from Thanksgiving!"

Uhhhh. I'm not good at making conversation with attractive boys. I heard Karin stifle a laugh behind me.

"Yep, I know the feeling," Naruto said sympathetically and turned back around. Karin kicked at my shoe from behind.

"Nice job, rock star," She said lowly. I turned around and wrinkled my nose at her as I flared my nostrils and crossed my eyes. A classic look of not giving a damn. Sadly, Sasuke, Naruto's best friend caught the look too. He raised his eyebrows. Great, I'm sure he'd pass on to Naruto that I look like a dying moose on ugly pills.

"Hinata."

I looked up to see that I was next in line to get a name for Secret Santa. Sakura was beaming at me.

"Choose wisely," she said as she shook the basket at me. I was near the back of the line, so there were only a few names left. I quickly grabbed a piece of folded paper and made my way back to my desk.

Please be Karin. Please be Karin. Please be Karin.

I opened up my fist and slowly unfolded the slip of paper. I stared at the paper for a moment and looked across the room. Naruto was looking out the window, smiling. I glanced down at my paper again. Yep, still there in big bold print:

**Naruto Uzumaki**

* * *

**Well that sums up chapter 1. Did you like it? If so please favorite, follow and comment! If you did not enjoy it, voice your dislikes and I shall try to work on making the story better :)**

**-Harri The Celery**

**P.S. I'm quite trying to come up with a better title. Therefore I'm holding a title contest. PM me your ideas and I'll chose the winner!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Howdy partners in crime. I have so much fun reading your comments! It's makes me happy that people are having fun reading what I write :)**

**A NOTE ABOUT THE STORY: 'kay, you know how Hinata's mom is usually dead or missing? She's alive and well in this story :) **

**I don't own Naruto or anything else I may mention!**

**Now, may I present to you... Chapter TWOOOO! **

* * *

"You lucky dog," Karin said for the millionth time that day. I adjusted the strap of my messenger bag and we jaywalked across the street.

"What do I get him?"

"A ring," Karin cackled. "Get him a wedding ring."

"I'm being serious!"

"What makes you think I'm not?"

"Good grief…so, who do you think got our names?"

"Well," Karin sighed and looked towards the grey sky, "I have a feeling that the creepy kid with the glasses got mine. He was staring at me all day."

"Yeah, I noticed that. But he stares at everyone," I pulled my scarf up over my freezing face. "Want to come over for hot chocolate?"

"Is your dad home? I get a feeling he really doesn't like me ever since he caught me impersonating him."

"Well, it wasn't a very flattering impersonation. And no, he's not home. He and mom are going out to dinner with some big kahunas, and won't be home until late."

"Then, I accept your offer." Karin bowed dramatically.

We cut across the football field and made our way to my neighborhood.

"God, when you die can I have your mansion," Karin said as we walked up the tree-lined driveway.

"My dad prefers to call it 'our stately abode,'" I rolled my eyes. I was always a bit embarrassed by how much wealthier I was than all my friends. Karin was always telling me that being loaded was nothing to be self-conscious about, but sometimes, I just really wished I lived in a less grand home…without a chandelier in "the foy-_yay_" as my grandmother called it.

Inside we tossed our school things on the kitchen counter and started scavenging for hot chocolate makings.

"Where's Hanabi?" Karen asked.

"She's spending the night at her friends house."

"Ooh, so we have free range over the whole house," Karen got some whipped cream out of the fridge. "We should have a party! Can I get a 'Hell yes'!"

"Hell no!" I turned on a stovetop eye. The last thing I wanted was Karin trashing my home.

"Why don't you make him a mix tape? Or mix CD. Whatever," Karin hoisted herself onto the counter and crossed her legs.

"Hey," I grabbed two mugs from the cabinet. "That isn't a bad idea…he's always wearing that old Mumford And Sons t-shirt. But what of he doesn't like my taste of music?"

"If he doesn't like your music then you weren't made for each other," Karin said in a voice that implied "duh."

Twenty minutes later we were sitting upstairs on my bedroom floor, sipping hot chocolate and staring at my laptop screen.

"Wow, Hinata. I didn't mean for this CD to be some sort of encrypted message."

"Huh?" I looked up from iTunes.

"Well, I'm definitely sensing a pattern. So far you have 'I Want You To Want Me,' 'Gimme Some Lovin,' and 'Crazy In Love.'"

"Oh jeez." I deleted the playlist. Over the next half hour, I made three more playlists. The first was too sad. The second was too weird. The third was too girly.

"AGH!" I flopped onto my back and rolled across the floor. "This is _impossible_."

"It's not impossible! So far we've just decided what _not _to put on his CD. No depressing Pink Floyd, no soundtracks from foreign films, and absolutely no Taylor Swift."

"Mehhhrghhh," I replied from my current position face down on the floor.

"Okay let's think. Naruto just got his driver's license back in September. So he's been driving to school a lot. Ipso facto, make a CD of fun music he can listen to on the way to school in the morning."

With new vigor, we set to work, creating the perfect mix tape.

The next morning, I got to school early and slipped a CD case through the slots in Naruto's locker. The case was perfectly decorated with a list on the front.

**Naruto's Totally Groovy Tunes**

**1. White Walls – Macklemore**

**2. D'yer Mak'er – Led Zeppelin**

**3. Harlem – New Politics**

**4. Paper Planes – M.I.A. **

**5. Gold On The Ceiling – The Black Keys**

**6. So Good – B.o.B. **

**7. The Impression That I Get – The Mighty Mighty Bosstones**

**8. Jumpin' Jack Flash – The Rolling Stones **

**9. This Too Shall Pass – OK Go**

**10. Only The Good Die Young – Billy Joel**

**-Your Secret Santa :)**

Karin only told me later that "Naruto's Totally Groovy Tunes" was "the dumbest shit" she had ever hear, much to my dismay. She could have told me before I wrote it all over the CD case.

Before history class, I saw Naruto showing the CD to Sasuke and overheard Sasuke call it "Pretty dope." I think that's good. I told Karin and she gave me a thumbs up. I definitely like this whole Secret Santa thing.

* * *

The next day Karin got her first gift.

"What is it?" I leaned over her shoulder at lunch. She found it that morning, sitting on her desk, but didn't have a chance to open it until now. Karin pulled out a wad of red tissue paper. Inside were three bottles of nail polish. A bright pink one, a sparkly pink one, and neon purple.

"I think we can narrow your Secret Santa down to the girls," I said, "Cause I doubt a guy would be caught dead buying these. Actually maybe it was Chouji. I can see him buying pink nail polish..."

"Fuckin' don't even like pink." Karin curled her upper lip.

"Karin! Quite! What if your Secret Santa is somewhere close by and they hear you. You don't want to hurt their feelings," I said, glancing around for people who looked thus offended. Nobody was paying us a lick of attention. As usual.

"Yeah, yeah. Have you gotten anything yet?" Karin asked as she unscrewed the bottle of bright pink polish and started painting her fingernails.

"No I haven't gotten anything yet. Typical," I said. "I thought you hated pink."

"I do, but I might as well use this polish," Karin stuck out her tongue and carefully painted her left pinkie. "To placate my Secret Santa."

* * *

After school Karin and I headed downtown to find gifts for our giftees. Karen was finding a present for Tenten. We stopped in a knickknack store where Karen found a coffee cup that said "Bitch, I'm fabulous."

"I don't think that's very appropriate, Karin," I said as she carried it to the front of the store to make her purchase.

"Don't _worry. _I think Tenten will appreciate the humor in it," Karin said.

We ended wandering the outdoor mall an hour later. I still hadn't found something for Naruto and Karin was starting to complain.

"I'm freezing, can we go home?" Karin shivered.

"I have to find something for Naruto!"

"You just gave him the CD yesterday. It's not mandatory to get him something every other day!"

"But tomorrow is Friday and I won't see him again until Monday," I sighed. "Plus I like doing this."

"You like freezing your ass off, and worrying about if he'll like what you get him or not? Listen, I love you Hinata, but I'm tired of walking around, I've got my gift for Tenten–" Karin held up her shopping bag– "And I have to go home and study. So catch ya on the flip side, muchacha."

"Oh, Karin! Please don't leave me! I _need_ you. I _worship _you!"

"Girl, that's idolatry. Better check yourself before you wreck yourself," Karin called over her shoulder.

"You've never even seen that movie! Stop quoting the trailer!"

Karin didn't even turn around this time; she just waved over her shoulder. Great. In my quest to be the perfect Secret Santa, my best friend has left me. She what I mean about Naruto being a problem? People bustled past me. Couples bustled past me. Look at them. All happy. Holding hands. Smiling at each other. And what do I have? Frostbite…

Some foreign guy was yelling in my ear about his scarves, so I stopped at his stall to admire them.

The man said something about making me look beautiful and held up a light pink, sequined scarf. I took the scarf and looked at it. I didn't really want a scarf but since he kept on saying "Half price for the pretty lady!" maybe I should get it. It's not every day I get called a pretty lady. Even if it is by sixty year old guy…nevermind, that's actually slightly creepy. Then an idea donned on me.

"Do you have any scarves for uh, men? Without the sequins?"

"Yes!" He beckoned me over to the other side of the booth. "For your boyfriend!"

Wow, he's definitely not afraid of making assumptions. I rummaged through the mound of folded scarves. Ew, maroon. Black is boring. Polka-dots? I think not. I pulled out a green scarf. And put it back quickly, after realizing 'YOLO' and 'SWAG' was embroidered all over it. I thought the guy said these scarves were for men.

Then something caught my eye: a dark and light blue plaid scarf. I picked it up. It was fringed at the ends and extremely soft.

"A hundred percent wool!" suddenly the man was back in my face, hawking his scarves.

* * *

**Comment, Follow, and Fave, por favor! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Two chapters in one day. _Crazy. _**

* * *

Friday, the sixth of December. I tried to get to school early again to put my gift on Naruto's desk but got held up by Karin.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" She barged in to my room that morning.

"How did you get in here?" I said groggily.

"Your mom let me in. When I first knocked on the door I thought your dad would let me in, but when I waved at him through the window me he pretended he didn't see me and ran away. As if. Now, wipe that crusty crap from your eyes." Karin began opening and closing my chest of drawers and closet.

"If you feel bad about leaving me yesterday, it's okay. I forgive you…_you don't have to do this_," I pleaded with her.

"Oh, but I do!" Karin could be extremely rude to me sometimes, but she always feels the need to redeem herself. Usually by "assisting me with my choice of duds."

Something black hit my face, jogging me from my thoughts. I picked it up.

"Yoga pants? To school? I can't do that."

"Hinata! You have a really hot body, and you need to flaunt it sometimes," Karin said sternly.

"Oh dear Lord," I dragged a hand over my face.

"Wow this is a cute bra!" Karin threw more clothes at me. Best friends are such a bad idea. I was never told that this sort of thing came with the deal. "Oh my _gawd_. Why do you never wear these adorable clothes?" She rooted about in my closet while yelling things like, "So festive!" and "Ohmigod! Cute!" and "Can I borrow this?"

"Listen, Karin, I gotta hurry," I called from my bathroom, where I was washing my face.

"Why, do you have a date with your mythical boyfriend?"

"No! I have to get Naruto's gift to school before too many people get to there."

"Oh!" She resurfaced from the closet. "What did you end up getting him?"

"A scarf," I said as I walked out of the bathroom. "I feel naked in these." I gestured to the yoga pants.

"A _scarf? _Hinata, you are so sweet."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, I don't know. Like, a scarf is just a very maternal gift."

"Maternal? _Maternal?" _I pulled my Sperrys onto my feet. "I do _not _want Naruto to think of me as his mother."

"I didn't mean it as a bad thing. Maybe he needs someone like you," Karin said softly. I stopped. Karin was rarely so sincere sounding. "He never knew his mother you know. He lives with his godfather, who I don't think is a very good father figure…with his somewhat _indecent_ writings. Maybe he just needs someone to care for him. To love him and look after him..."

"Shit, Karin. Now I'm crying."

"And he needs someone to buy him scarves!" Karin laughed and tossed me my pea coat. "Let's go! We have hearts to win."

* * *

So that's why I arrived late to school. I quickly jammed the wrapped up scarf into my locker and Karin and I ran to homeroom.

"Damn, girl. I didn't know you had those legs," Kiba said when I walked in. I knew wearing yoga pants was a bad idea.

"Everybody has 'em," Karin said as she took off her cat-eye sunglasses.

Naruto, who was sitting behind him, kicked Kiba's desk.

"What, man?" Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Kiba hold his hands up in a shrug. "I was just complementing her fine bodily structure."

"Ms. Hyuuga! That's a tardy for you," Kakashi called from behind his desk. What? My perfect attendance– ruined!

"What about, Karin? She just came in too?" I pointed at Karin. I wasn't usually one for calling out my friends, but it seemed unfair to reprimand only me.

"Arguing too? My, my, how unlike you! Just sit down," Kakashi waved me away lazily.

I sighed and sat down in my desk as Kakashi droned through the announcements.

"As for the Secret Santa project, Chouji here's a card," Kakashi held up the envelope and Chouji went forward to take it.

"Ah, wow, a gift card for Konoha Steakhouse! Thank you!" Chouji glanced around the room, thanking us all, since he didn't know who got it for him.

"As if he needs more food," Karin whispered to me. I gave her a look of disapproval.

"And, Hinata Hyuuga, there's something for you as well," Kakashi said. I got up from my desk. I was actually pretty excited to see what the first gift from my Secret Santa was.

Kakshi ducked under his desk. "This was on my desk when I walked in this morning. I was hoping it was for me but was thoroughly disappointed when I saw your name written on the card. Someone has gone above and beyond his or her Secret Santa duties," his muffled voice said. He straightened up and hefted a big basket onto his desk. It was filled with fruit. A pineapple. Oranges, kiwis, pomegranates and bananas. A big red bow was tied around the basket handle.

"What does the card say? I'm quite curious," Kakashi peered at the basket.

"Uhm…" I fumbled with the mini card that was tied to the handle.

"Well, you don't have to read it aloud if you don't want to," Kakashi said a little disappointedly.

"_Read it! Read it! Read it!" _The eleventh grade homeroom chanted. I smiled shyly at the room and opened the card. I cleared my throat.

"'F-for the girl who loves all things tropical,'" I read.

"XOXOXO," Kakashi read over my shoulder.

"_Ooooooh,"_ the whole room teased. God, they're like a bunch of middle schoolers.

"Well that's enough excitement for today. Open to page 394." Kakashi called the class back to attention. I picked up the large basket awkwardly and lugged it back to my desk. It was too big to go on my desk so I set it on the floor next to me.

Not long after Karin passed me a note:

_What. The. Hell. You have an admirer ;) p.s. you look hot in those leggings._

"It wasn't from you?" I mouthed back. She shook her head no. As far as I knew, Karin was the only one who knew about my love for tropical islands and things like luaus. It wasn't a big secret, but it's not like I go around telling either.

I spent the rest of the morning racking my brains for people I had told. When everyone left for lunch I lagged behind with Karin.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" I picked up the fruit basket. "It's too big to fit in my locker, and I can't leave it here."

"Bring it with you?" That's what I ended up doing. The usually invisible me could be seen coming from a mile away. Everyone gave me little winks and started singing the Chiquita banana song when they saw me coming. I mean it's not like they were being mean about it. Nobody gets a girl a behemoth basket of fruit for the stupid Secret Santa, unless they really like her. And everybody knew it.

* * *

Karin was trying to figure out who wrote the card as we walked down the schools front steps, that afternoon.

"Who do we know that has this handwriting?" She twirled her imaginary moustache.

"It's typical guy handwriting," I said.

"But look at the distinctive way he dots his I's." Karin tapped the paper emphatically.

"It's a dot. Everybody dots their I's like that."

"Aha! But it's off to the right a bit."

"She's right," Suigetsu said. "By the way, they're showing _It's A Wonderful Life_ at the cinema tonight. You guys want to come?"

"What's that?" Karin asked as she searched the card for other handwriting irregularities.

"It's an old Christmas movie with Jimmy Stewart. It's a classic! And the tickets are half priced to kick off the holiday season," Suigetsu nudged Karen. "You'd like it."

"I hate old movies. They're all grainy and black and white."

"You'd love this one," he pleaded with Karen. I watched them. Wow, Karen was oblivious.

"Whatever. I'll go," she finally gave in and handed the card back to me.

"Awesome! I'll take you guys out to dinner beforehand too. You're coming, right Hinata?"

"Actually I have to…I told Hanabi I'd take her Christmas shopping for Dad tonight!" I said. Liar! Liar! Oh well, I'm lying for a good cause.

"What? Oh c'mon, Hinata," Karen said.

"Sorry. But you guys have fun!" I waved to them and watched them walked to Suigetsu's car. Suigetsu smiled toothily over shoulder at me. He knows that _I _know he likes Karen.

"Wait, is this a date?" I heard Karen say.

Only then did I realize with all the excitement over my fruit basket that I'd forgot about Naruto's scarf.

"Ugh. No!" I repositioned the fruit basket in my arms and ran back into the school, my messenger bag flopping against my hips. Inside it was quite. The hallways were now empty. I clattered to a stop in front of my locker and quickly undid the padlock. How was I going to get this to him? Maybe I could just walk to his house and put it in his mailbox. Would that be weird? Naw, I heard that some people did that last year.

Wait. Where does Naruto live?

I walked over to the secretary at the front of the school and set my fruit basket down on her desk.

"Excuse me Ms. Shizune? I know you're getting ready to leave, but could you quickly look up someone's address for me?" Thankfully, I knew Shizune pretty well because I had helped out filing things in the office last year for extra credit, and she didn't object to helping me.

* * *

After getting his address, I quickly deposited my book bag and fruit basket at home.

"Hinata. Where did _that_ come from?" Hanabi had walked into my room and was gawking at the fruit basket.

"Um, Secret Santa," I replied hastily, as I put on a beanie.

"Wow, your Secret Santa loves you," Hanabi flopped onto my bed. "I got a box of cruddy crayons…and the Konomaru borrowed them and accidentally broke the yellow _and _the blue crayon. What a spaz."

"Uh, huh," I replied as I typed Naruto's address into Google maps.

"Where are you going?" Hanabi asked as I jotted down the directions.

"Secret Santa mission," I grabbed the carefully wrapped up scarf and pulled Hanabi off of my bed.

"Why?"

"Because. I'll be back in a little while."

"I guess I'll go draw…with my dumb, broken, crayons. Ugh. I'm so uncool. What seventh grader colors with crayons?"

I left Hanabi to complain about her unsatisfactory drawing utensils by herself. Outside I grabbed my bike and set the scarf in the wire basket.

I glanced at the directions and started pedaling down the street. To the end of my street, and turn left. Down the quiet street with the maple trees. Out of my neighborhood. Across the street. Past the convenience store and turn right. Cross the train tracks. Hang a right. Coast down the hill. Aha, there's Callahan Street. A couple snowflakes began to drift from the grey sky. A dog barked in the distance. I pedaled along slowly until I could see 216 Callahan Street.

So this is where he lives: in a small one-floor house. It was painted a light mint green and had dark grey shingles. There were no cars parked out front and the windows were dark, so I pushed my bike up to the mailbox and opened it up. I had wrapped the scarf in plain white paper and tied a ribbon around it. On it I wrote, "To Naruto. To keep you warm through the long winter months – your Secret Santa." I slipped it in and gently closed the mailbox.

* * *

**Hey I've got a question for you. You know the playlist Hinata made in the last chapter? I had tons of fun making it and I was just curious if you guys listened to any of the songs. If so, did you like them?**

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment :) **


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own Naruto (OMG! WOW! CRAZY! I SURPRISED YOU ALL DIDN'T I? I ALMOST THOUGHT I OWNED IT TOO!) on to the story...**

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On my way home, I stopped by the grocery store because I wanted to get some more cocoa mix. We were running low on our supply. I parked my bike under the awning and walked in. That's when my third Secret Santa gift idea hit me.

Food. I would bake Naruto some delicious pastries. After all, a wise man once said the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I grabbed a shopping basket and started loading it up. Flour. I'm pretty sure we're running low on that. Yeast. I need that to make the dough. This ingredient and that ingredient. Soon I had everything I thought I would need. I continued to the checkout line and had made it outside with all my bags when I realized my dilemma. I had ridden my bike. How the hell was I too carry all these grocery bags home and ride my bike at the same time? It was getting dark and the wind had picked up, making icy snowflakes fly into my eyes. It was beginning to get dark and I really didn't have time to take the groceries home and come back for my bike. Plus I was too tired for that many trips. Aw, hell.

I heard the automatic doors open behind me and somebody walked past me. The footsteps stopped.

"Hinata?" I turned around. "I thought it was you! Didn't recognize you at first with your hat on, though."

"Ah, hi, Naruto," I smiled at him and fumbled to keep my groceries from dropping. Naruto looked around.

"Yeah, I was just picking up one or two things that Jiriaya asked me to get. Do you need help carrying those?" Naruto was only carrying one bag, so he took one of mine to alleviate the load I was carrying. "You aren't riding your bike, are you?"

Wow, don't I look like an idiot now.

"Yeahhh. I am. I didn't realize I'd be getting this many groceries…" I trailed off.

"Well, it's your lucky day!" Naruto took the rest of the bags from me. "Grab your bike! I'll drive you home."

"You really don't have to! I don't want to make you go out of your way! Naruto, wait!" I pushed my bike after him.

"Chill, it's okay. I'm not some kidnapper." Naruto stopped and turned around. He looked me in the eyes. "I seriously don't mind."

"Thank you," I stopped protesting under his gaze.

"Don't mention it!" Naruto was at the driver's door of a beat up old Land Rover. "It's the old man's car. He's been letting me use it, but I can't wait to get my own," He rambled on as he set the groceries in the back seat.

"Is this going to fit?" I motioned to my bike.

"We'll _make _it fit," Naruto chuckled. He opened the trunk and picked up my bike– like it weighed nothing. Heh. That's hot. Great. Now I'm blushing.

After maneuvering the bike about, he shut the trunk and walked around to open up the passenger door. Wow, such chivalry.

"Thank you," I climbed in and he shut the door after me. I watched as Naruto walked around to the driver's side. The icy, winter wind swept his hair back and made his face rosy. In other words, yeah he's flat out adorable. He climbed in and shut the door.

"Man. Arctic out there," he said as he put the key into the ignition. I agreed and tried to think of something clever to say, but whenever I was around Naruto my mind blanked out and I got self-conscious.

The radio turned on automatically when he started the car. A familiar beat met my ears. The crashing of cymbals. We were listening to "This Too Shall Pass" by OK Go. We were listening to a song I put on Naruto's mix CD! On the dashboard lay the empty CD case that I had decorated.

I guess he saw me looking at it because he jestured towards the stereo and said, "Cool music, huh? I got it from someone for the Secret Santa. It's been on replay for the past few days."

"I like it. Who do you think is your Secret Santa?" Oh, I'm a sly, sly girl. I watched him out of the corner of my eye.

Naruto pondered the question for a moment. "I'm not sure," he said. "Maybe it's Suigetsu. He's big into music."

"Yeah, but I can't really see him prettifying a CD case."

"True…"

"...So, Naruto, who are you the Secret Santa for?"

"Can't tell." He tapped the steering wheel and smirked. Naruto? _Keeping a secret?_ What was the world coming to?

"It's just Secret Santa. Not the blueprints to some nuclear weapon," I mumbled. Naruto smiled but didn't say anything.

"Oh, wait a minute," Naruto said as the car stopped.

"What?" I peeled my eyes away from his profile. We were parked in front of Naruto's little, mint colored house.

"I meant to drive you to your house, but we just ended up here," Naruto furrowed his brows. "I just forgot that you didn't live with me. I mean, because you feel like home – what?! No, because I feel so comfortable with you!" Naruto exhaled and scratched the back of his head. "Jesus."

"Uhh. I-I," I stuttered. My brain needs a year to process what he just said.

"Let me just drive you home…heh."  
On the way back to my house Naruto asked for directions once, commented on the weather twice and I mentally scratched my head and wondered if 'I just forgot you didn't live with me' was just a slip of the tongue or…like does…

What does that even _mean_?

When we pulled up to my house, I got the groceries and Naruto got my bicycle out of the back and propped it up on its kickstand.

"Thanks for driving me home. I really appreciate it, Naruto." I scuffed at the ground.

"No problem." Naruto swung the keys around his finger. "I guess I'll see you Monday then?"

"Yep. See you then."

He gave a final wave and then got back in his car.

I walked inside after he left and set the groceries on the kitchen counter. I pulled off my hat and kicked off my boots and began putting the groceries away.

"Who was that boy, Hinata?" My mom walked into the kitchen. My mom had a small frame and a soft voice. Her hair was pulled back in a small bun. She was quiet like me but always pulled together and completely confident. I hope that one day I'd be poised like her.

"Naruto? He's just a friend," I replied.

"Just a friend? Oh," she said. "I was hoping he was your boyfriend or something."

"_Mom._"

"He was quite dishy."

I wrinkled my nose. The fact that my mom was checking out a boy thirty years younger than her was really disconcerting.

"We're having dinner soon, so go wash up," My mom said, oblivious to the look of revulsion still etched on my face.

I hope that one day my mom would try to be normal...that's too much to ask for isn't it.

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**In other news I'm incapable of writing cute scenes without adding awkward. Thank you all for reviewing, favoriting, following, and being cool people. Keep up the good work :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**'Ello my good friends! I'm trying my best to update whenever possible, but I live out in the boonies, and thus rarely have access to good internet connection! I'm trying my hardest to be done by Christmas but can definitely not promise anything :( I'm so sorry!**

** BUT OH, MY GOODNESS! Thank you a million times over for your awesome reviews, favorites, and follows. You all are the best :) I send good vibes your way *wiggles arms around for affect* **

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On Saturday we went to get our Christmas tree (we trudged up and down dozens of rows of trees until we found the "perfect" one) and for the rest of the day my mom made me help her decorate the house with miles of Christmas lights (guess who got the job of untangling them? Yours truly) and wreaths and other decorations that looked like they'd been pulled straight from the Holiday Edition of an interior design magazine. Then on Sunday, I had to finish loads of homework that was due the next day, so I never got a chance to make Naruto's pastries that weekend.

Monday was normal. There were no surprise baskets of fruit waiting for me. I think I did pretty well on a pop quiz in History class; they had halfway decent macaroni and cheese in the cafeteria for lunch during which Karin and I sat alone, because Siugetsu was sitting with the other guys. I get the feeling that their date to the movies didn't go as planned, even though Karin says she liked the movie.

During the day the sun had broken through and melted the majority of the snow that had fallen over the weekend. By the time school let out Monday afternoon, though, the sun was back hiding behind the grey winter sky. It was cold, and the sidewalks and streets, once wet with the melted snow, were beginning to freeze back up. Karin and I walked to home side by side, with our scarves pulled over our faces and our hands jammed into our pockets.

"Eye candy alert," Karin said, nudging my side. I looked to where she was pointing across the street. On the otherwise empty football field Sasuke and Naruto were tossing a football back and forth.

"Ughhh." I watched Naruto catch the football and lazily throw it back across the field to Sasuke. "I don't even think he tries to be hot," I mumbled into my scarf.

"It's quite a feat. Unintentional hotness…" Karin said as I pulled my scarf from around my mouth. I had breathed all over it and the condensation had made it all wet. Gross.

"Yeah, he's on the other side of the field and you can still tell he's totally fit."

"And then you see him up-close and it's like '_Damn. _Nice facial bone structure.'"

"And when he smiles it's like his entire face smiles if you know what I mean," I sighed.

"Smile? Wait. Which one are we talking about? I was talking about Sasuke," Karin said.

"Why would _I _be talking about Sasuke? I don't like him."

"It's perfectly legal to appreciate someone's hotness without being deeply in love with them."

"True…but have you ever noticed Naruto's dimples?" I grinned at Karin.

"Gotta say, they are particularly cute."

"Yeah and how when he smiles the left side turns up a little more and how his face crinkles up when he laughs and in the summer when he gets a sunburn he has those super nice freckles on his nose and-"

"You need a life."

"But _have you ever noticed how nice his shoulders are?"_

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That night after rushing through my homework, I set to work in the kitchen. I measured, added, stirred, boiled, whipped, chopped, and did every other culinary verb you can think of. Everyone else had gone to bed by the time I pulled the last pan out of the oven.

I delicately placed a couple Danish pastries into a parchment paper lined box along with some cranberry-orange muffins, sticky buns, and jelly filled cookies. I gently closed the lid and wrapped a red ribbon around it. I picked up a pen and held thought for a moment. "Enjoy," I wrote, "From your Secret Santa."

"I hope these taste worth a dern," I said to myself as I trudged upstairs to go to bed.

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The next morning was jarred from my peaceful sleep by my cell phone's alarm, blaring Soulja Boy. "_Youuuu! Now watch me crank that. Youuu!" _I used to think it was a good ringtone choice. I had set it on the other side of my room to keep me from simply shutting the alarm off and going back to sleep. I stumbled across my room and jabbed my finger against my cell's screen as I muttered profanities. I rubbed my eyes for what felt like an hour (It was really just a minute) and staggered into the shower. Those dumbass pastries had kept me up way too late and now I felt extremely sleep deprived and thus extremely ugly – it's scientifically proven that sleep deprivation makes you look less attractive. But I was determined to get to school early so I could drop off Naruto's gift. I pulled on some shoes and threw on my coat as I ran down the stairs.

"Bye! Going to school!" I yelled as I ran out the front door. The frost covered grass crunched as I ran across the yard. The sky had cleared and the bright, morning sun was rising in the sky. My breath rose in little clouds as I ran along the sidewalk with my box full of pastries. It was below freezing outside but by the time I got to school, my coat was unzipped and I was hot from hurrying the whole way there. I breathed heavily (because, I will not lie to you, I am horribly out of shape) as I marched down the empty hallway to homeroom. I pushed open the door and peeked inside. Empty! Perfect…

I walked to Naruto's desk and set it on top. Mission complete. I went back outside, and loitered on the front steps until people started to show up. Karin and I walked into homeroom.

"What have you been up to?" Karin asked when she saw the ribbon bedecked box on Naruto's desk.

I glanced around. Naruto wasn't at school yet but I didn't want anyone to hear so I whispered to Karin, "Otnay uchmay!"

"Talking in Pig-Latin isn't going to help you be secretive, _erdnay,_" she said.

"Using Pig-Latin for insults? That's low, Karin," I said pointedly as I watched the classroom around me. Shikamaru had his headphones on and was playing a game of Sudoku. Choji was talking to him. Ino, Tenten, and Sakura were laughing over something. Suigetsu was frantically copying homework from Lee, who was trying to explain to Suigetsu how that wasn't a good learning tactic.

I heard familiar voices in the hallway and looked towards the door. Sasuke walked in followed by Kiba and Naruto.

"That's a load of bull," Kiba was saying.

"I kid you not!" Naruto laughed as he pulled off a scarf. Allow me to elaborate: He pulled off the blue plaid scarf that I gave him. Of course he didn't know it was from me but it looked super cute on him.

"Yeah, look it up, Kiba," Sasuke said.

"Dude, I can't believe Nicki Minaj's butt is fake," Kiba replied.

Well, I won't judge them on their choice of conversation.

"Naruto, you have mail," Sakura called as she gestured to his desk. Naruto set his scarf on the desk and looked at the box. He untied the ribbon and opened the lid. Kiba leaned over Naruto's shoulder and said, "My good man, you are loved."

"What did you get him?" Karin mouthed to me.

I leaned over and whispered, "I made him food."

"Why don't I get food?" she joked back at me.

"You're already to fat," I said as I poked her in the stomach.

I watched Naruto as he passed the box of pastries around homeroom (yeah, I know, they're _supposed_ to be all for him, but clearly Naruto is too generous for his own good) and secretly reveled in the praise people were giving my works of culinary decadence. When Naruto passed the box to me, I tried to politely turn it down.

"Hinata! I insist," he picked up a cranberry-orange muffin and handed it to me. "Here." His eyes sparkled. "It's fantastic."

"Okay," I took it and bit into it to placate him. I smiled as I chewed. "It's good."

"Yeah! I need to figure out who made these," he said as he looked around the room, "and make sure I never get on their bad side."

"I doubt you'd get on their bad side," I said.

"You think so?" Naruto raised his eyebrows. "I like how positive you are," he said as he gave me a final grin and walked back over to his desk.

"Ooh, Hinata," Karin purred. I glanced over at her.

"Oh my God! Stop looking at me like that. It's creepy."

She grinned toothily and widened her eyes. "Did you see the way he was looking at you? His eyes were full of yearning and deep affection."

"Shut up," I swatted at her arm. She let out a peal of laughter and I shook my head.

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**I don't know if you all are skilled speakers of Pig-Latin but "Otnay Uchmay" means "Not much" and Karin's retort of "erdnay" is nerd. **

**I hope there are no grammatical errors (I'm a lazy bum and my eyes glaze over while proof reading). Thanks for reading and I wish you all a fabulous weekend :) **


	6. Chapter 6

**yeah, basically, if it sounds like something real, I don't own it. **

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The week and a half leading up to Christmas break were fun, although hard and filled with exams. Us students seemed to be getting more and more stir-crazy as we counted down the days until Christmas break.

On Wednesday, some of them tried to make a break for it during PE. We were running laps on the track and when Kiba and Suigetsu got to the bend they just kept going straight. A whole ton joined in. They didn't get far before Coach Anko saw them and started yelling and running after them.

On Thursday, somebody (nobody knows who) brought Christmas shaped sugar cookies to the drama group. But apparently they were laced with pot and a whole ton of students unintentionally got high off of them. Principal Tsunade is still raging mad about that and vows to find the culprit.

Today was Friday. The thirteenth, actually. Renegade PE students. Pot sugar cookies. Who knows what was going to happen next.

"So you're actually going to wear those all day?" I asked, glancing down at Karin's legs.

"Yeah, I think they brighten things up." Karin was wearing a skirt with a pair of outrageous knee socks. They were bright red and green striped with pompoms up the side: another glorious gift from her Secret Santa, who seemed to be out to get her fashion wise.

"Well, they certainly make you stand out in a crowd…"

We had just finished math class and were on our way to our lockers to drop off some books.

"So I heard that it was that kid, Sai," Karin said.

"What?" I wrinkled my brows at her.

"With the pot! In the drama room!"

"Oh," I chuckled. "It sounds like your incriminating someone in that board game- Clue."

"It was Sai!" Karin shook her hands in the air in mock surprise. "In the drama room! With pot!"

"...Karin, why is there an extension cord running from my locker?"

"And why is your locker glowing."

"Oh my God. It's radioactive." I reached my locker and looked at it uneasily as I undid the lock. It clicked and my locker door swung open. Inside was packed with colorful lights. Strings and strings of Christmas lights, all shoved into my locker and glowing.

"Um, wow."

"Sup with the lights, Hinata?"

I glanced over my shoulder. Naruto was walking past with his friends.

"Oh-I- well, I-I don't know. Ha…haha," I furtively looked at Karin for help. Karin understood the plea for help in my glance. She leaned forward.

"It's foul play," she smiled. "But we'll get to the bottom of it. Heads will roll."

"What the hell?" I mouthed to her. Heads will roll? Well, now Naruto can be sure that I'm insane.

"What's that?" Naruto was now standing right next to me. I looked to where he was pointing and saw a corner of paper sticking out of the lights.

"Well, shoot, I didn't see that," I laughed a little too loudly. Karin was making a face at me, so I clamped my mouth shut and pulled at the paper. It was an envelope. "Hmmm." _From Secret Santa_ was scrawled across the front. I carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the contents. It was two slips of paper. Tickets? I read the print.

"Holy shit," I whooped.

"Uh oh, Hinata's swearing. Must be something _big._" Karin took one of the slips of paper from my hands.

"What is it?" Suigetsu had just walked up and was reading over Karin's shoulder.

"What is it?" I snapped out of my trance. "Take a look!" I waved the ticket in Suigetsu's face. "Two ticket's to see the Black Keys in April!"

"Hey when I got you free ticket's to see _my _band you weren't this excited," Suigetsu grimaced.

"I guess she likes the Black Keys more," Naruto shrugged from my side.

I had forgotten about him. I turned around and took his shoulders.

"You don't understand." I was hyperventilating about the free tickets. "I love – _love _the Black Keys. And now I have free tickets!" I sang. I breathed in deeply and held the precious tickets to my heart. And squealed. Naruto was laughing and Karin was shaking her head.

"Who gets concert tickets for Secret Santa?" She exclaimed. "I got _socks_."

Just then the bell rang.

"Eh, I better go," Suigetsu sighed. I think he was jealous about my tickets. "I already have too many tardys."

"Yeah, I guess I'll catch you on the flip side," Naruto said as he saluted us and walked away. We pulled all the lights out of my locker so it would close and got our books.

"This is uh-mazing!" I beamed at Karin as we walked to our last class of the day.

"No, this is kinda fishy," Karin raised an eyebrow at me. "Somebody is getting you fruit baskets and concert tickets, and it isn't fucking normal."

I rolled my head from side to side. "Well…"

"Who else besides me knows about your love of tropical islands? Hmm?"

"Well…"

"Who else knows that your favorite band is the Black Keys?"

"It's not exactly secret information," I drawled.

"But seriously, who?"

"Suigetsu?"

"Yeah, but you can forget about him. He's a cheapskate, so he ain't gonna be getting you concert tickets, plus we already know he's the Secret Santa for Shino because he won't stop bitching about it. _Plus_ do you realize that some lunatic had to actually _break into_ your locker to get the lights in."

"Yeah…"

"You know what this means right?" Karin didn't wait for me to answer. "We have a stalker on our hands! A creepy, good-for-nothing, secret admirer! You better watch your back missy, because this little fucker is watching your every move, and following you home, and climbing up trees and watching you as you fall asleep."

"Well, you're clearly over reacting."

"Am I," Karin gave me a wide-eyed stare as we walked into class. During class she glared at anyone who happened to breath too loud and every now and then she would nudge me and motion with her head towards someone, while mouthing _"_that one?" It was very aggravating.

But I was too excited. I had tickets to see my favorite band when they came to town in April.

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**Yes, I have managed to channel my inner music junkie into Hinata.**

**Thanks for reviewing, favoriting, and following! Have a fabulous day!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow, I hope you still have some Christmas cheer left in your poor little souls, so you can finish my story. Ha. **

**Disclaimer: if I owned Naruto we'd still be on volume one, guys. **

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I think the question of who's my Secret Santa drove Karin crazier than me. She interrogated Suigetsu all weekend and when she came over Monday morning before school, she had even made a list of possible people.

"It can't be Sasuke, because, well just no," Karin said as we bustled along the sidewalk. I was already wishing I had stayed in bed this morning.

"You're hogging the sidewalk," I said. It was freezing out that morning. My hands felt like they were about to fall off and go rolling into the gutter.

"And, there's no way it's Sai. I don't think he would care enough to go through the trouble of stuffing a locker full of Christmas lights. What if it's Shikamaru? He's mysterious!"

"Mysterious? Hah! No, I highly doubt it," I said as we crossed the street.

"What about Kiba? Or Shino, or Lee. I bet it's Lee!"

"No! Would you just give this a rest? We'll figure out who all our Secret Santas are this Friday."

"But we can figure this out before then!" Karin huffed. "It's not like _you're_ doing any of the work."

"You know what? I forgot to think about what to get Naruto because you won't stop bothering me about this stupid Santa thing! I can't take it anymore!"

Karin huffed. "Fine. I was just trying to help you. But I won't bother you because clearly you don't care." She adjusted her backpack and hurried up the school's front steps ahead of me.

"Why are you leaving me? You're overreacting! I didn't even say anything mean," I called after her as she marched in the school's front doors. "Ugh." I sighed heavily and trudged up the steps after her. Great. Now my best friend is mad at me.

Karin stayed in a huff all morning. Personally, I think she's making a mountain out of a molehill. She refused to sit with me at lunch, so instead I went into the library to study a little bit. But I could only handle that for ten minutes because some moron was eating chips really loudly. You're not even supposed to eat in the library. But anyway, I wasn't going to go up and tell him that so I just left. I didn't know where else to go from the library. I sat down on the stairs that led to the hallway where the lockers were. It was deserted here in the hallway. Everyone was in lunch and I was the loser that was sitting by myself on the steps. And what was worse, a Britney Spears song was stuck in my head.

I laid my head on my knees and closed my eyes. What a lousy day. I heard a door slam and the squeak of feet skipping down the steps. Yay. Life forms only gravitate towards me when I want them to go the fuck away. Somebody was whistling, but he stopped and his footsteps slowed when he came round the staircase corner and must have seen me. The footsteps stopped right next to me and I heard the rustle somebody sitting next to me. Seriously?

I opened my eyes to see scuffed up Nike Airs. The cuffs of his jeans were slightly frayed. I lifted my head off of my knees and looked up. The sleeves of his button down shirt were rolled up and he was resting his elbows on his knees and leaning forward with his chin on his hands. He was looking down the steps and towards the front doors with a pensive expression on his face. His blonde hair was sticking up in the front, like he had just run his hand through it.

"I don't mean to be rude and all…but what do you want?" I asked.

"Me?" Naruto turned his head to look at me. "Oh, I don't want anything. I had to stay behind in the science lab to clean up the glass beaker I broke earlier. The thing just shattered into a million pieces… What are you up to?"

"Absolutely nothing." I plucked my jeans.

"It's nice sometimes to do nothing, huh? Just chill."

This was an entirely unexpected conversation.

"Yeah, it is nice."

But it was not entirely unappreciated.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Naruto said.

"What? You mean play hooky?"

"Yeah." He pushed himself off of the steps and grabbed my hand to pull me to my feet. "Let's go do something." We waltzed right through the front door and down the front steps of the school. Jailbreak. Surprisingly easy.

"Are you sure we can do this? Just leave?"

"Nobody cares."

"Where are we going?" I said as I ran to keep up with Naruto's long stride.

"I dunno. We could go anywhere. You decide." Naruto walked backwards for a few steps as he watched me. Although it was cold, it was a nice day out. The weather was sunny and the sky was one of those big, blue cloudless, winter skies.

"I'm actually kind of hungry," I admitted.

"Man, I'm always hungry."

We ended up walking to a local diner and getting some lunch. We sat in a booth by a big window and each ordered a cheeseburger platter. We sat there for over an hour and a half, eating, looking out the window, and chatting. We joked about, making up weird life stories about the old people sitting at the counter and decided that our waitress was probably clinically depressed. We talked about where we would go on our dream vacation, who we thought brought the pot cookies the other day, and drew the ultimate rollercoaster on a paper napkin. Naruto won tic-tac-toe seven times in a row, but I made a better origami crane with the paper napkins.

It was fun.

After spending ten minutes trying to figure out how much to tip our clinically depressed waitress, we got up to leave.

"I can't believe I did that," I said as we cut across a parking lot.

"Did what?" Naruto said as he took a sidelong glance at me.

I cannot believe that I just spent the afternoon with Naruto Uzumaki. Furthermore, I cannot believe how easy it is to be around him, _and _so far, he doesn't seem to be tired of me and my weirdness.

"I just cut school," I said.

"Gives you a bit of a rush, huh?" Naruto chuckled but quickly stopped himself. "But don't, you know, make a thing out of it. I don't want to be a bad influence on Hinata Hyuuga."

"Well, if my grades start dropping, I'll know who to blame."

It was almost two o'clock and I didn't want to miss any more classes so we ran back to school. I hope Naruto didn't think I was a total dweeb for wanting to go back to school, but he seemed to understand. That was the nice thing about Naruto. He didn't make fun of my weird concerns and abnormal want to get back to school.

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**Hope you enjoyed it! Leave a comment!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Have you guys ever seen that tv show, Goldrush? Because like, Parker Schnabel is adorbs. **

**Anyhoo, that was random. ENJOY this chapter :) **

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I was walking home with my scarf pulled up around my face and my nose running from the cold when I heard the pounding of feet on the sidewalk behind me. With my luck it was a mugger. They'd be pretty upset when they figured out my backpack only contained a couple dinged up notebooks covered in doodles, two exceptionally dull pencils, and some pocket change. Maybe some lint and crumbs too. I turned my head as the footsteps approached and somebody body slammed me.

"WHERE WERE YOU AFTER LUNCH?" Karin yelled at me.

I had fallen into the holly bush when she ran into me. "OW, Karin. OW." I hauled myself out of the bush.

"You were _absent_ without _authorization_." She said pointedly.

"You want to know what sucks? You're only talking to me because you want information." I stopped for a moment. "And that really sucks," I said a little quieter.

"Hina_ta. _I'm not talking to you just to get information. Not really. Well…but anyway, I'm sorry I ignored you, eventhoughyoutotallydeservedit. And I'm talking to you now because curiosity has taken over my anger. Plus, you're my best friend. And that means I must know everything that's going on with you so I can tell you what you're doing wrong."

I laughed a little. "I'm not that much of a screw-up."

"You need me."

"You're the screw-up."

"Where were you?"

"…Around," I said casually.

"Where were you?" God, Karin never stops.

"I cut okay?"

"Who were you with?"

"What?"

"One who is not prone to playing hooky, does not randomly play hooky by themselves one day."

"Since when have you been the expert, Karin?" I rolled my eyes.

"Since when have I not been the expert, Hinata? Who?" Karin doesn't miss a beat.

I turned up my family's driveway. "Naruto Uzumaki." I threw the name over my shoulder as I began skipping ahead of her.

"Are you kidding?" I wasn't looking at her face but I could imagine that she was squinting at my back with mouth halfway open, trying to find a grain of deception.

I turned around to face her and spread my arms out as I walked backwards. "I speak the truth."

She tilted her head to the side. Yep, she wasn't finding that telltale grain of deception she had been so certain she would find. Her eyes widened. "Well, _oh my God_, can you be a good friend and tell me all about it! This is so odd. I never would've guessed!" She ran to my side and we walked up to my house, shoulder to shoulder, giggling girlishly as I began to tell her everything. Friends aren't meant to stay mad at each other.

…

"And then when we got to the school's front steps we kinda stopped, and he was like, 'So, I had fun, Miss Hyuuga –'"

"He called you 'Miss Hyuuga'?" Karin said. She was sitting on a beanbag by my bedroom window cutting paper snowflakes. I had been lying on my back on the floor going over every detail of the afternoon, but I rolled onto my stomach so I could look at her.

"Yeah."

"That's adorable. Miss Hyuuga."

"_Yeah." _I rested my head on my hands and replayed the moment in my mind.

"I think he's got something for you," Karin stated.

"Nah. Really?" I asked hopefully. "You get that from him calling me Miss Hyuuga?"

"I get that from lots of things." Karin picked up another piece of paper and started snipping away, forming a snowflake. "Well, he basically took you out on a date today, and if that ain't a dead giveaway, I don't know what is."

"I don't think it was a _date_–"

"I beg to differ," Karin pointed her scissors at me. "There's also this different way he looks at you."

I rolled back onto my back. That was just too much to process.

"And I would've told you like a couple months ago when I first noticed it, but…"

"Karin! You got to stop withholding stuff!"

"Well, I wasn't certain, and I didn't want to get your hopes up but–" Karin took a deep breath, "It's definitely a different look."

"Like how?"

"Well he usually looks at people like they're suckers and he's figuring out they're weaknesses so he can pull some prank on them."

"I don't think–"

"I've told you before that you've fallen for the ultimate troublemaker."

"Well, I don't think he looks at people like they're suckers…"

"It's a very wily look. But sometimes, when he talks to you, he _doesn't_ look like he's plotting something juvenile. The way he looks at you is…soft… it's…caring. And truly happy."

I unfolded a paper snowflake and scrutinized it. "Karin…you're a really good friend."

"Don't go getting all sappy on me. You're only saying that so I keep analyzing Naruto for you." Karin teased.

"You like to analyze! I'm doing you a favor by giving you my life to analyze."

We talked and made paper snowflakes for a little while longer until Karin had to go home and I began doing homework. Thoughts tumbled about in my brain. Does he like me? As a little more than a friend? But, seriously. How could a guy like me more than all those other girls? He probably likes Ino. I looked back down at my homework. Good grief. I'd read this one paragraph at least seven times. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and tried to concentrate on my reading.

* * *

Tuesday I tried not to think about it, but I found myself paying close attention to every little detail, no matter how minute. When I was walking to homeroom, I happened to be a little ways behind Naruto and Sasuke. I swear it was unintentional. Naruto was absent-mindedly singing _My Sharona_, while Sasuke ignored him. Naruto's hair looked slightly damp. He must've just taken a shower this morning. I could smell the fresh aroma of soap. When we got to homeroom, he must've noticed I was behind them, cause he held the door open for me.

I smiled in thanks at him, while really I was trying to figure out if he was looking at me differently. Keeping an eye out for those dilated pupils, and all that other shit Seventeen Magazine told me about. But I didn't figure out much, besides the fact that he also held open the door for the three people behind me.

I observed that he's more prone the raise his right hand than is left hand when he asks a question in class. I also noticed he had to be doing something. If he wasn't tapping his fingers against the side of the desk, he was ever so slightly bouncing his heel up and down. He also gazes out the window a lot. I saw him out of my peripheral vision, looking out the window multiple times during third period. I kept looking out the window to see what he was looking at, but I couldn't tell. When I passed a note to Karin she wrote back saying, "Ditz, he's looking at _you._" I was self-conscious for the rest of class.

During lunch, Suigetsu went to sit with his friends and invited Karin and I to come. Suigetsu's friends consisted of Naruto's friends too, and (lucky me) I ended up sitting across and two seats down from Naruto. Sadly, as if I'm not already an awkward enough eater, the architecture of my sandwich was very unsound, and the tomato and lettuce was falling everywhere. I'm sure I looked like a pig. The amount of napkins I went through was ungodly.

Despite my unfortunate gastronomical state, I was still able to observe Eagle One, as Karin and I had taken to calling Naruto (code names are important in these sorts of situations, because if you go shouting around the dude's name things aren't going to be so subtle. Subtleness is key).

"Hinata, I heard you got tickets to the Black Keys?" Kiba shouted at me from down the table.

"Yes, I d-did." I always get nervous talking in big groups and everyone seemed to be listening. "It's super neat!"

Kiba waved a couple french-fries at me, "You need anybody to go with? I'm always open."

"I doubt she wants to take you," Naruto joked as he opened a bag of chips. He furrowed his eyebrows and glanced at me, but then looked away.

"Eagle One is making _a move_," Karin whispered into my ear. I elbowed her.

"Okay then Negative Nancy," Kiba threw a fry at Naruto.

"Oh thanks." Naruto caught the fry midair and popped it into his mouth. "Mm, Old Bay seasoning. My favorite."

"Is it true you got two tickets?" Sakura asked from the opposite side of the table.

"Uh, yeah. Crazy Secret Santa. I'm probably going to drag Karin along," I shrugged. "Or maybe get Neji to come home from college for a weekend and make him go."

"I can see Neji at a rock concert about as much as I can see myself bungee jumping," Karin said. "And I hate heights."

"Are you going to go?" Ino asked Karin.

"Me? If Hinata makes me. I'm not big into that band, but it'd be fun."

"I don't see how you could not like the Black Keys," I grumbled. Two tickets to see my favorite band. Three days until Friday, and then I'll know who bought me them. I don't know if just saying thanks is enough.

* * *

**Reviews are always appreciated!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello from the world's shittiest updater :) I'm soooooo sorry. In other news I learned how to swing dance over the weekend! If you ever get the chance you should totally try; it's major league fun. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Timber by Pitbull**

* * *

Wednesday I got up early so I could arrive at school early again. I had one last gift for Naruto before Friday. I had run low on ideas for things to get Naruto. I had asked Suigetsu what gift a guy would like, but Suigetsu was incredibly unhelpful. "Well, it really depends on the guy," he said. And then he went on to hint about what he himself wanted for Christmas. It didn't really help. I ended up getting him a book. I hope he likes to read…

Back to the present, though. I pulled on some mint green skinny jeans that Karin had conned me into getting and pulled on a sweater. I picked up the gift-wrapped book and placed it in my backpack.

"Where are you going so early, Hinata?" my mom asked when I skipped downstairs.

"Um the whole Secret Santa thing is going on. I want to get there early to drop off my gift," I replied as I grabbed a bagel.

"Are you going to put a hat on? It's cold out there," my mom walked over to the closet and rummaged about a bit.

"Mom, I'm fine." I followed her over anyway and held open the closet door for her. She was rooting through a basket of hats.

"I know the perfect hat. What is it called? A bonnie!"

"A beanie?"

"Oh, yes! I see kids wearing them all the time," my mom pulled out a grey beanie and shoved it onto my head.

"What the heck?" I ducked down and tried to take it off.

"Oh, that's quite adorable!"

"Okay..." I readjusted it and brushed down my bangs. "Thanks. See you later, mom!"

"Have a good day, Hinata."

"You too!" I waved as I stepped outside. On my way to school, I pulled my iPod and pressed play. Bastille pumped through my ear buds.

I skipped up the school's front steps and inside. First I went to my locker and put a few things in there. While I had my backpack off I took out the gift. I hoisted my backpack over one shoulder and carried the gift with one hand while I scrolled through my iPod with the other hand.

"Look up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane, nah it's just me ain't a damn thing changed," I sang softly as I jammed to Pitbull and Ke$ha and walked through the empty hallway to homeroom. "Swing your partner round and round, end of the night it's going down. It's goin' down I'm yellin' TIMBERRR–" I stopped dead in my tracks as I entered homeroom. I was not alone. Oh, no, not at all.

Naruto was standing in the middle of the classroom staring at me. I just stared back until I realized Naruto had slipped off his headphones and was saying something. I lifted up my hand and popped out my ear buds.

"…didn't hear you coming…" he said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Um…" Yeah, right. I bet he heard me yelling timber. I realized he was holding a gift in his hands. He must have had the same idea as me.

"Who's that for?" He was pointing at the present in my hands.

"Well, this is actually kind of awkward–"

"Oh, right. Not supposed to say who's the Secret Santa for who until Friday…"

"Well, yeah, but…this is for you." He was going to figure out eventually, right? What's wrong with an awkward confrontation a few days early?

"Me?" Naruto laughed.

"Well, it's not funny," I mumbled sort of annoyed. I don't know what I had expected, but it certainly wasn't for Naruto to laugh at me.

"But it is! It is!" Naruto weaved through the desks towards me. "Cause this…" He held up his gift-box wrapped in a red and white ribbon, "Is for you." He handed it to me.

WHAT.

WAIT.

WHAT?

Excuse me; I think all my brain cells have decided to go on holiday.

"You wanna take it? Orrr," Naruto ran a hand through his hair and looked round.

"Um, yeah! I'll take it! Yes!" I quickly grabbed the box. My ability to move and talk had abruptly returned. "And this is for you!" I shoved my gift for Naruto towards him. We sat down in desks next to each other and began opening our gifts. I stopped untying the ribbon.

"WAIT! What am I doing? _Thank you!_ For the concert tickets!" I honestly didn't know what to say. Naruto bought me concert tickets. Super hot, nice boys don't buy me things like that everyday. This is actually a first. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou. So much."

"It's no problem. Glad you're happy."

"Well, how did you know that the Black Keys are my favorite band? Did you know?"

"Oh, I heard you talking about it to Karin… I wasn't listening on your conversation or anything," He quickly added.

"I don't mind…wait." I stopped untying the ribbon once more. "The fruit basket thing! You said for the girl who likes all things tropical. How did you know that?"

"Haha. At the beginning of the year, you know how Kakashi made us introduce ourselves and say one thing we liked? Which is totally dumb, but anyway, you said you loved tropical islands."

"Ohh. I forgot about that. You remembered that?"

"My brain is a steel trap," Naruto joked. "I remember everything."

"Oh, great, so that means you also remember how I fell on my face in the middle of the cafeteria the first day of school?"

"You didn't fall on your face. It was just a little stumble."

"Ugh…you're just trying to make me feel better. I can tell!"

"Okay, you fell flat on your face. It must've been mortifying." Naruto said solemnly. I grinned.

"Open your present," I said. He tore open the paper and pulled out the book. It was a copy of Life of Pi. His eyes scanned the back cover.

"Okay," I started rambling "I love that book, but I don't know if you like to read or what, but if you don't like it–well actually you should read it anyway."

"Okay, I'll read it," He smiled toothily at me. "Now open up yours."

"Okay, let's see…" I carefully finished untying the ribbon and unwrapped the box. I took off the lid and pulled back the tissue paper. Inside were a light pink hair band with a bow, an elegant blue hair band, and three beautiful little hair clips.

"I thought you might like 'em cause you're hair's always falling in you face when you read in class and stuff," Naruto said.

"Thank you, Naruto. I'll put one in right now," I said as I pulled off my beanie and smoothed down my hair. I picked up one of the tortoiseshell clips and tried to put it in, but was having a bit of trouble because I didn't have a mirror.

"Lemme help you," Naruto said as he leaned forward and gently took the clip from my hands. He brushed my hair behind my ear and put the clip in. I'm sure I was blushing up a storm. He leaned back. "It looks good," He said happily.

Soon other people started entering the classroom.

"Well, thank you, Naruto," I said as I got up from the desk to move to my own.

Naruto nodded and then glanced up at me, "Hey, what are we going to do on Friday? We already know that we're each other's Secret Santa."

"Oh yeah…Well, Sakura said we're supposed to give one last gift on Friday. What do you want?"

"I really need a new notebook for history class. You?"

"Earl Grey tea."

"Got it." He winked at me and I tapped my nose in a conspiratorial manner. As I walked to my desk Naruto started humming something to himself. It sounded an awful lot like Timber...oh great, he totally heard me.

* * *

**hahaha. idk. I hope there are no mistakes. Review? **


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you to every single one of you glorious readers! I absolutely love reading through your comments :) It makes writing these stories so much fun! So you have my undying gratitude as I send good vibes your way; do you feel 'em, zapping you in the head and fizzling through your brain? **

**Onward to the last chapter :D **

* * *

During Chemistry I casually slid my stool across the room so I could sit next to Karin as we filled out our lab reports.

"_Karin."_ I whispered to her.

"Don't bother me, I'm trying to make some crucial calculations."

"But I have a feeling you'd want to know about this."

"I'm sure it can wait!" Karin leaned closer to her notebook and scribbled down some numbers.

I sighed deeply and began tapping my pencil against the table.

Karin punched a couple numbers into her calculator.

I sighed again.

"_What!_" Karin hissed.

"Do you like my hair band?"

"_Is that all_?"

"Cause it's from Naruto."

Karin gasped loudly and sqealed, "WHAT?"

"Shhh," I glanced around and smiled innocently at our teacher.

"Are you for real? I _told_ you he loved you deeply!" Karin sniggered quietly.

"Well actually he's my Secret Santa."

"Ahaha!" Karin turned around on her stool and tapped Suigetsu, who was sitting at the table behind us, on the head. "Boy, you owe me five bucks."

Suigetsu glanced up. "Damn it! Why are you always winning?"

I frowned. "You two were _betting _about my Secret Santa?"

"Maybe," Karin smirked. "Pay up." She held out her hand to Suigetsu.

He fished about his pockets. "I only have a dollar and three cents in coins."

"Well hand it over. You can just pay the rest later."

"Come on Karin," Suigetsu whined.

"Don't gamble with a genius if you can't handle coughing up the dough later." Karin jingled the change and put it in her jeans pocket.

"I can't believe your making money at my expense," I said.

"Well, hey! At least you know who's been picking locks and shit now," Suigetsu said. All three of us glanced in Naruto's direction. He was reading his chemistry book.

I think Karin was about to say something more when my lab partner stalked over and broke up our little powwow.

"You're supposed to be _helping _me with our experiment," He sniveled at me.

"Oh, sorry." I got up and followed him away, but made a face over my shoulder at my friends. Karin rolled her eyes.

* * *

On Friday everyone was restless during homeroom. It was only a half-day, so we could leave at lunch. Sakura stood up on her desk.

"Who's excited about Christmas break?!"

The classroom cheered.

"Who's excited to give and receive their last Secret Santa gift?"

We cheered again.

"Okay go hand your gifts out!"

With a squeaking of desks, people were up and moving about. I hopped over a desk and met Naruto halfway across the room.

"You'll never guess, but I'm your Secret Santa," I said.

"Well, that's funny cause I'm yours," Naruto said in mock surprise.

"This feels like déjà vu to me," I said. He chuckled and we exchanged gifts.

"A spiral bound notebook! Just what I needed!"

"And you got me Earl Grey tea! You must be a mind reader!"

I think we were getting a few weird looks because of our sarcastic enthusiasm. Karin ambled over to us.

"Secret Santa strikes again," She pointed to the bright pink hat with three pompoms that she was wearing.

"Who is your Secret Santa? Because this person clearly has a fetish for pompoms and neon pink," I said.

"Choji…" Karin shrugged. "The poor guy said he had no idea what to get a girl, so asked his nine-year-old cousin for help."

"That explains so much," I said.

* * *

After school I skipped down the school's front steps, elated by the fact that I was free for the next few weeks.

"Hinata!"

I turned around to see Naruto running after me.

"Hey, Naruto."

"I wanted to catch you before you'd left. Um, do you want to do something over Christmas break?"

"Okay, yeah," I nodded. I opened up my backpack and grabbed a slip of paper and a pen. "Here," I scrawled something down, "Is my number. So we can set something up."

He smiled. "Okay, I'll give you a ring." Naruto waved and walked away.

I turned towards home only to bump into Suigetsu and Karin.

"I only caught the tail end of that conversation, but did he say he was going to give you a ring?" Karin held up her left hand and wiggled her ring finger.

"Things are more serious than we thought," Suigetsu bantered.

"A ring! A call! On the _phone_."

"A likely story," Karin and Suigetsu said at the same time. God, they were around each other too much.

"Ya'll want to get some lunch somewhere in celebration of the beginning of Christmas break?" Suigetsu asked.

"And to celebrate Hinata's engagement," Karin added quickly.

"Shut up." I trudged after my friends through the slushy snow.

"So can I be your bridesmaid?"

I threw a snowball at both Suigetsu and Karin.

* * *

The gentle hum of Christmas music drifted upstairs from the kitchen. Perry Como was on the radio, singing about how there's no place like home for the holidays. I breathed in deeply. I could smell the wood fire that was burning downstairs. Outside it was dark; the only light in my room came from the glowing Christmas lights around my windows.

It was Christmas Eve. Downstairs relatives were sipping champagne and making conversation. I had excused myself and was now lying on my bed, just listening. I glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was 9:43. I rolled off of my bed pulled on a hat and coat, and grabbed my boots. I tiptoed down the wooden hallway in my sock feet and crept down the staircase. I guess I didn't need to be quite though; I doubt that anyone would notice me over their lively chatter and music.

While it was dark upstairs, it was bright and vibrant downstairs. Light poured from the living room, where most everyone was sitting.

I slipped down the hallway once I reached the bottom of the staircase, and made my way to the kitchen. I pulled on my boots and snuck out the backdoor.

Outside it was cold. Snow was falling steadily. Large, fluffy, flakes that drifted down to earth lazily and stuck to the ground, accumulating slowly. I shivered and pulled my hat down over my ears. I skipped and broke into a run. Across the yard. Down the driveway. Onto the street. The Hyuuga household was behind me now. The whole neighborhood was beautiful tonight. Decked out with wreaths and glowing lights, but silent in the snowfall. Peaceful. I laughed; my breath puffed out in front of me. I had successfully made my escape.

In a few minutes I was out of my wealthy neighborhood and into the more working-class side of town. I cut across a yard and jogged up the steps to the front door. Through the front window, I could see that the TV was on. I knocked and held my breath. There was some yelling– but not mad yelling. It was cheerful yelling– and then I heard some movement. The door swung open.

"_Hinata!_" Naruto beamed at me, making my insides flutter, and let me inside.

"Hi Naruto."

He looked ridiculous in a red knit sweater with reindeer leaping across the front, and his hair was a mess as usual. After being outside in the cold, his house was cozy and warm. I felt my face begin to thaw.

"Merry Christmas!" I waved to Naruto's godfather, Jiraiya, who was sitting on a sofa in cramped living room watching a Christmas special on TV. The house was stuffy and smelled like Jiraiya's infamous "Holiday Potpourri" (It wasn't particularly bad smelling – a spicy aroma of cloves, bay leaves, and citrus – but it was entirely too potent) that Naruto had told me about. He claimed it was the sole reason that Jiraiya was still single. A lopsided Christmas tree was taking up a quarter of the room. Unlike my family's tree that was decorated with only ornaments that matched, Naruto and Jiraiya's tree was covered with weird and clearly homemade ornaments.

"Would you like something to drink?" Jiraiya lifted up his glass. "I made cider!"

"It's spiked," Naruto called from the kitchen where he was pulling on his shoes. "Don't trust him!"

"Oh, come on Naruto! You were just having a bit yourself!"

Jiraiya was a kind man and only meant well, but sometimes I think he forgets how old we are. Naruto smiled sheepishly at me.

"Well, it was pretty good, _BUT WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?" _He wailed at Jaraiya._ "_What do you think the Hyuugas would do if we sent Hinata home smelling like booze?"

"It's okay Naruto I already smell like the potpourri," I joked.

"It smells pretty good, huh?" Jiraiya said, excitedly. "I revised my recipe."

"God help us," Naruto whispered as he took my arm and steered me towards the door. "We're going on a walk to check out the Christmas lights in the park."

"Don't be out too late," Jiraiya said as he turned back to the television.

"Jiriaya's super easygoing," I said as we walked down the front steps. "I had to sneak out of the house."

"Seriously?" Naruto looked at me with his eyebrows raised. "Oh man, you're such a bad influence on me."

"Ha! Be scared." I wiggled my fingers mysteriously.

"Oh damn. You're a menace." Naruto joked as he took my hand in his and we walked down the sidewalk. He made the gesture so casual; if he wanted to hold my hand, he'd hold my hand. Simple as that; why make a big deal out of it? I curled my fingers around his hand and fell into step beside him.

On the way to the park we chatted about various things: snowflakes, fruitcake, weird childhood stories, and how creepy we thought Ronald McDonald was. Our conversations were the most bizarre but somehow entirely normal. Eventually we saw the park across the quiet street.

"Race you!" Naruto called as he took off across the street, under the soft glow of street lamps. I laughed and ran after him.

The whole town seemed to be in a peaceful slumber. Outside it was just falling snow, the Naruto, and I.

"What did you stop for?" Naruto called. He was standing in the snow-covered grass. A nearby display of reindeer made from Christmas lights illuminated the area around him. I skipped a step and ran towards him. When I reached him I stopped and stared up at his face. Snowflakes were sticking to his thick eyelashes and his breath came out in little puffs.

"What?" He asked in an amused way.

"I-I…I just," I felt like I was drowning his blue eyes. "I'm about to do something…totally _crazy," _I breathed. Before I could rethink, I reached up and took his face in my hands. I stood up on my toes and he bent down a little bit, wrapping one arm around my waist. Our lips touched gently. I have to admit, I was thinking really hard, because _I had never kissed a guy,_ and _how exactly are you supposed to do this_? But Naruto had this calming affect on me. I felt comfortable with him. Or maybe he can just kiss really well.

He smelled like clothes detergent and Jiriaya's bizarre potpourri. It sounds like a strange combination, I know, but you'd be surprised how wonderful he smells: boyish but not doused in the fake smell of cologne like other guys at my school. I pulled back to catch my breath.

"Whoa," Naruto breathed. "I think I like it when you do crazy things."

He took my hand and we once more began to walk around the decorated park. Naruto swung our hands back and forth as we strolled under an archway of lights.

"Oh, hey," I said. "So, I have these concert tickets."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, some lunatic broke into my locker and shoved them in there with about ten yards of Christmas lights."

"_Weird._"

"Totally…but, see I got this extra ticket, and I have no idea who to bring along. You got any ideas?"

"Hmm. Someone to go to a concert with you? Well, I know this guy. I don't know if you'd like him, but he _adores _you. In fact…I think he's the same guy who jammed all those lights in your locker."

"Oh, _him._ He seems like a pretty cool guy. He adores me?"

"Absolutely."

"Well," I leaned my head against Naruto's shoulder, "Between you and me, I adore him too."

* * *

**Fín! **

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